Product counterfeiting is a worldwide problem. Many different industries are affected by counterfeiting, including the pharmaceutical, electronics and telecommunication, apparel and fashion, and music and film industries. Today's counterfeit goods have a broad range and often include prescription drugs, electronic equipment, watches, and fashion accessories. Counterfeiters have become so advance, that virtually any product on the market can fall prey. While in cases such as fashion and apparel, a fake product may translate into a general sense of dissatisfaction for the end-user, in cases of pharmaceutical drugs, the consequences of a fake drug may be more dire. Rarely, if ever, are counterfeit drugs manufactured under any health and safety standards. Worse yet, those making the fake drugs often use placebo-type or harmful ingredients to pass off the goods as genuine. Such practices can lead to severe medical problems or death for unsuspecting users, and contribute to a rise in human drug resistance. Similarly, inferior counterfeit electronic or infrastructure equipment can lead to catastrophic failures. As one example, inferior communication cables or cable ties used in an aircraft can be the cause of irreversible malfunctions while in mid-flight.
Certain anti-counterfeiting techniques have been proposed and implemented to some extent. These include 1D and 2D bar codes utilizing national database inquires to validate products; Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags utilizing national database inquires to validate products; covert techniques that utilize wireless tags embedded within plastic molded caps or packaging that utilize national database inquires to validate products; and other covert technologies (e.g., “micro-labeling”, embedded images, holographic images, nano-labeling technologies) utilizing difficult-to-copy labeling or tagging techniques (these could also involve inquires into a national database).
However, these techniques are either relatively easy to duplicate, difficult to manufacture (hence leading to higher cost), and/or make it hard for the customer to determine the authenticity of the products. Therefore, there exists the need for improved methods, systems, and apparatuses to guard against counterfeiting.